Businessmen raise funds for new dams construction
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LAHORE: As the fund dedicated for the construction of Diamer-Basha and Mohmand dams received slow response, Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) held an Independence Day music concert on Aug 18 to raise funds for the projects.
PIAF Chairman Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, quoting the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), said here Sunday that the total collection for the dams from within Pakistan had been Rs 854.8 million so far. The details show that the fund received Rs 22 million on Aug 13, Rs 87.4 million on Aug 9, Rs 63.4 million on Aug 8, and Rs 44.9 million on Aug 6.
He said that Jashn-e-Azadi concert was held at National Hockey Stadium Lahore and attended by a large number of business community with their families by purchasing tickets. He said the earnings and contributions at the concert would be fully donated to Diamer-Basha and Mohmand Dams Fund.
Irfan Iqbal Sheikh said that the project would contribute to alleviation of acute water shortage in the Indus Basin Irrigation System caused by progressive siltation of existing reserves.
A large number of renowned personalities who attended the event were Mian Anjum Nisar, Irfan Iqbal, Sheikh Sohail Nisar, Tariq Nazir chief secretary Akbar Durrani, Imran Tarar, DG LDA Amna Imran Shakil Anjum, Khawaja Javed Aslam, Qaiser Sultan and many TV/ film actors and artists and thousand of others.
He hailed the decision of the Supreme Court for initiating the move, also asking the government to also start work on Kalabagh Dam without any further delay.He observed that KBD was the most comprehensively studied project by world's top experts, reviewed by noted international panels of professionals and thoroughly appraised by the World Bank. The project located in the middle of load center, easy to approach and no long distance transmission lines were required for it, he mentioned. It was ready for construction since mid eighties and international financing from World Bank or Asian Bank can still be easily arranged, he maintained.
APP/AFP
